Cherry Blossom Season Brightens Up Essex County (PHOTOS, VIDEOS)

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — If the rapidly growing collection of photos and videos on social media are any indication, cherry blossom season has been a much-needed breath of fresh air for many Essex County residents.

This spring, the annual blossoming at Branch Brook Park attracted visits from people across the county after a long, stressful winter. Visitors were asked to practice social distancing and wear face masks.

As might be expected, they’ve flooded social media with smile-inducing photos and well-wishes, including U.S. senator and Newark resident Cory Booker, who called the park "the real cherry blossom capital of the United States."

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The ongoing coronavirus pandemic forced the county’s annual Cherry Blossom Festival into virtual mode for 2021, but people still came to the park to check out the massive collection of 5,000 trees – which are even more than the display in Washington D.C.

Those who can't visit the park can view the status of the bloom season on new panoramic cameras, officials stated. They can be accessed at essexcountyparks.org.

• See related article: Essex County Eagerly Awaits Cherry Blossoms; Festival Goes Online

The pandemic didn’t dampen the love that many Essex County residents and groups feel for the idiosyncratic, fragrant trees.

The Newark Museum of Art held a virtual community day celebrating Japanese culture and the collection of cherry blossoms at Branch Brook Park, which it called the “largest in the country.”

In Belleville, cherry blossom-lined Mertz Avenue was recently transformed into an open-air yoga studio for about 50 people, who spent the afternoon holding the lotus, the downward dog and other poses.

Council members Naomy De Peña and Vinny Cozzarelli and Board of Education member Gabrielle Bennett-Meany took part in the annual event, led by Michelle Petersen of Signature Fitness, which was canceled in 2020 because the COVID-19 health crisis.

“This was a great way for residents to come out, stretch a bit and enjoy the spring beauty of Belleville,” Mayor Michael Melham said.

Check out some other views of the cherry blossoms below.

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